user
Tell me how would you respond to the following request.
What is an API?

assistant
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of functions that allows applications to access data and interact with external software components, operating systems, or microservices. APIs are used to allow applications to perform complex tasks such as request and receive webpages, establish connections, and even receive complex authentication tokens. An API generally defines the kind of requests that can be made, the path to the resource, what parameters are needed, the data formats that are acceptable, and the action that the API should take in response to the request.